The Tamer
by KeptSecrets
Summary: Lucy Heartfilia, a wealthy girl who ran away from home. Natsu Dragneel, the boy raised by Acnologia. When the two meet, will Lucy's warm heart melt the ice covering his? Nalu. Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.
1. The Day We Met

A/N: This is my first Nalu story! I was inspired by the story *Calming The Chaos byLyonsgirl* so go check it out! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL

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"What?! Don't you have any celestial spirits here?" Lucy exclaimed furiously. Seriously, what was the point of coming to this shop if the only things that filled up the place were little toys and magical objects that were of no use to her?

"This is the only magic shop in town girly, folk 'round here are more about fishin' than magic. I reckon most people in town don't even know how to use magic! I made this shop only for the wizards who happened to be passing through town, so I don't really keep up to date with the magic items I carry," An old man stood in as a clerk, with a small button nose and a bald spot on the top of his head.

"So I came all the way to this town for nothing," Lucy sighed, "Are you sure you don't have any gate keys around here somewhere?"

"Afraid you will have to look yourself little lady, but may I suggest some colors magic? All the girls your age seem to like it," The old man tried a weak sales proposal, but his words fell on deaf ears. He didn't stop there, though, he made sure to give an example of all the colors that the little device could change your clothes too.

Lucy's face held a frown. She decided to go and search the store herself since the clerk was no help. She made her way through the aisles and searched the wooden shelves that had different objects perched on them, collecting dust from months of sitting unused. She glanced at another set of oak shelves and spotted a lacrima crystal ball. Wow, since when did old shops sell these kinds of things? Lucy thought while examining the clear blue glass of the ball. It was unnecessary to even wonder why it was here since it wasn't like anyone would buy an old lacrima ball, hidden in the back of the old room, from this shop.

Lucy was sweeping her eyes over a cluttered table when she suddenly saw a dark red, dust-covered box. She reached her arms over all of the junk that was piled on the table and grabbed the box swiftly. When she opened it, she was almost shocked to find a silver gate key, Canis Minor. Even though the key was very common, she certainly wasn't expecting to actually find a key in this place.

"Oh! You have the silver gate key Canis Minor, Nicola!" Lucy held up the key and examined it in the light.

"Ah yes, but you see, that celestial spirit is not very strong..."

"Yeah but I really want it, so how much?"

"20,000 jewels"

Lucy just stared at the clerk with wide eyes. Her jaw literally dropped. There's no way she could afford to pay 20,000 jewels for a silver key! Maybe she just heard him wrong... yeah that had to be it, right?

"... Excuse me?"

"I said 20,000 jewels"

Lucy could already hear the hole burning through her wallet, and that was a sound very unwelcome to her ears at the moment. She pondered her options silently until she came up with a bright idea. Luckily she decided to wear a short skirt today huh? Actually, her whole outfit was a bit on the fleshy side. Her short black skirt only reached her mid-thigh with two slits running up the sides of her skirt, and she was wearing a cropped white shirt with a blue heart in the middle. A short vest was worn over top of her shirt, both framed with a gold trimming and leaving her stomach exposed. To top off her outfit, she wore sleeves that reached just above her elbows that were tied off with yellow bows and flared out at her wrists. Her hair was tied up in two low twin tails, leaving her bangs to frame her face that had luscious pink painted lips and large brown eyes.

She put her newly formed plan into action and strutted up towards the desk, swaying her hips as seductively as possible. She slipped her butt up onto the counter and placed her hand on her hip. She adjusted her shoulders to make her voluptuous breasts perk up in the slightest way, only to add more of a sexy look.

"Come on now, tell me how much it's really worth," She giggled.

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"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS! That old geezer only knocked off a couple thousand jewel! " Lucy sighed, disappointed that she actually ended up buying it at the first offer. She should have definitely made him knock off more than a measly couple thousand. Honestly, it felt like she was slapped in the face with her pride. She shook it off. Who cared if some old man didn't think her looks were anything?

She walked along the peaceful streets of Hargeon, enjoying the scent of salt in the air coming from the oceanside. She was resting on a bridge that stood above an empty street. Now that she was standing still, she could finally take a moment to acknowledge how quiet and calm Hargeon really was. Seagulls silently flapped their wings above her. Mothers were walking with their children along grassy sidewalks and parks. Lucy felt content leaning over the bridge rail with her palm underneath her chin, a slight breeze washing over her.

Suddenly, cheers were echoing from inside the town. Two girls walked by her talking excitedly, one with a black afro and one with shoulder length dull green hair.

"Oh my gosh! Did you hear?! Salamander is in town!" The girl with the afro screeched while ruffling her hair in the reflection of her cell phone mirror. Lucy watched as she walked without even looking where she was going, seemingly too busy applying makeup to her already slathered face.

"AHHH! Let's go see him! I wonder if we could get his autograph?!" The other girl with green hair responded excitedly. She was doing the same as the girl with the afro, running her fingers through her straight hair.

The name salamander rang a bell when it came to Lucy's ears. She was sure she heard it before…

Ah, yes. He's a fire wizard. People call him the salamander because he's an ability type wizard who uses magic that you can't even buy in stores! What's he doing here… Lucy thought to herself.

A bunch of women went running past her, and she thought she might as well go see the infamous 'salamander' if he really was here. Lucy walked down the cobblestone roads that lead to the town square where the crowd of women were headed. She tailed the women all the way to where a mob had formed in the center of town square.

Lucy was pushed around outside of the circle by girls who were trying to get closer. At one point she was pushed in, and suddenly her mind went a bit foggy. She saw Salamander grinning at her from where he stood, surrounded by girls. Her heart started pounding, and her eyes could not stray even a centimeter from the man in front of her.

Lucy slowly made her way up to the front of the crowd. Is it love? She thought with hearts in her eyes, falling harder for him with each step.

"Could you move."

A deep voice shattered her haze, and she came back down to earth. She felt like she lost all her breath, then a heavy weight settled on her shoulders once again. This feeling could only mean one thing. I was under a spell.

Her eyes moved to rest on a tall figure, someone who was dressed in a long cloak. Lucy was unable to see their appearance. But judging by their voice, she knew they were a man. He was facing in Salamander's direction, his back facing Lucy.

She didn't have time to think about him right this second, though, so she turned her attention towards Salamander and sent him a harsh glare. She looked around and realized that all these women were under a love spell, the same one she was under. She turned towards Salamander again and looked at his hand. Just as I thought…

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Lucy yelled out towards salamander, who stopped talking to one of the beautiful girls under his spell.

"Why hello, aren't you gorgeous. How would you like to come over lat-"

"Take them off."

"Excuse me?"

"Take them off. Your rings."

Lucy was glaring at the man with disgust. Salamanders eyes widened but he soon regained his composure.

"I don't know what you are talking about," He said with a careless shrug. He gave the impression that he had no recollection of the rings Lucy spoke of.

"You are using a love charm with the ring on your finger. You disgust me, love charms have been banned for years so you must have gone through some trouble to get it. What sort of filthy person needs a charm to find love?!"

"Ah, well you see, I do. These women have fallen for me, and I plan to use them. I've got a ship parked and ready for some people to climb aboard… and by people, I mean," Salamander stepped forward and whispered in her ear, "Potential slaves."

Lucy slapped him hard and recoiled back. Salamander lost his composure and glared menacingly at Lucy.

"You want me to take them off? Come and get them girly. I'd love for you to join us," He said with venom dripping from his calm voice. He looked at her with a mix of perversion and anger, which disgusted Lucy in ways she had never felt before.

Lucy narrowed her eyes at him. She didn't have that many strong keys, and there wasn't any water around so she couldn't use Aquarius. She could try using Cancer or Taurus, but they wouldn't be much help if this Salamander was as strong as the rumors said. If the rumors were true, he would be able to take down a dragon if they had still existed.

The man in the cloak walked up to Salamander, with his back faced to Lucy. Lucy saw his arm being lifted up and plummeted with great speed straight into Salamander's face. Salamander was sent flying backward with such force that he broke through one of the walls of a nearby store and laid unconscious on the floor.

Lucy stared at the dead-looking man lying in a motionless heap on the ground. It all happened so quick, she didn't have time to try and comprehend what just happened. She looked at the man in the cloak and stared at him in awe. Lucy hadn't sensed a force of magic power before, but now it was radiating off of him in rolls of waves. Well, more like tidal waves to be more accurate.

"Hey Natsu, you need to learn how to hold back a bit..."

A blue cat, standing on two legs with a green hood tied to his neck, came walking up to who Lucy now knew as Natsu. Lucy looked at the blue cat, he had big white eyes and a small pink mouth. Since when were cats blue… and since when do they talk?! Lucy came out of her momentary thought bubble and turned to the guy in the cloak.

"Hi there, thanks for your help!" She said with a big smile. The least she could do was thank him for putting a stop to Salamander.

Natsu turned around and looked at Lucy. She noticed his intense onyx eyes, that seemed to have a fire raging within them. Was he mad that she talked to him? She couldn't see any of the rest of his face, but it didn't bother her. She wondered why his eyes were so intense, and why did she feel as if she was being judged?

Natsu just stared at her with unmoving eyes for a moment, then turned and started walking away.

"Natsu!? That's rude!" The blue cat yelled to his back. Natsu glanced back at Happy briefly before turning around again. The cat sighed deeply and turned to Lucy.

"Sorry he isn't very nice to strangers, well anyone actually," The blue cat apologized to Lucy with his head ducked down in a slight bow. Lucy wasn't mad about the strangers attitude, rather she was just shocked at how he didn't say anything, yet she could still sense how he felt.

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yeah.. well, anyways I'm Happy! And that," he pointed towards Natsu's now partially distant figure "...is Natsu."

"I'm Lucy! It's nice to meet you, Happy." She said with a bright smile, "Shouldn't we go and catch up with him?"

"I didn't think you would want to after how he ignored you..."

"Well, I have to thank him! Let's go!"

Lucy and Happy ran to catch up to Natsu, who seemed to not even acknowledge them as they tried to get his attention.

\

"Hey! Why are you walking away? I wanted to thank you for your help!"

Lucy tried to talk to Natsu, but he would keep on ignoring her as if she wasn't even there.

"Oh well, I guess I will follow you until you talk to me!"

Natsu suddenly turned around and sent her a glare that made her flinch noticeably. Natsu noticed her obvious fear and turned away again.

"I don't have any business with you. Leave."

Happy looked at Natsu wearily, and Lucy looked a bit hurt by his words. But Lucy wouldn't back down, so she came up with an idea.

"Hey, let's get to know each other! I'll treat you to a meal, and then we can call it even!"

Natsu visibly tensed at the gesture, but immediately covered it up with confusion.

Lucy had a big smile on her face when Natsu turned around.

"Why…?" He questioned with his voice brought down to just above a whisper. He was trying to be rude, he was trying to ignore her. Why would anyone chase after someone like that?

"Uhh because you helped me o-"

"No. I mean why would you want to get to know me." He cut her off with a clearer question. Lucy thought about her answer for a while, trying to find a clear and straight forward answer for him.

"Because you seem like a good person, just misunderstood. I feel like there's more to you than meets the eye, you know? I wouldn't mind being your friend!"

Natsu just stared at her with something unknown flaring in his eyes.

Friends, huh?

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Review!


	2. Camp

**A/N Hey guys! I've been going back and adding to/editing my chapters. Hopefully, it's a bit better now. Thanks, and enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL. OR ANYTHING ELSE.**

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 _Chapter 2 - Camp_

Natsu, Happy and Lucy were walking towards the train station when Natsu suddenly took a turn to a road that led out of town but went the same direction as the train. It was a long and narrow gravel road that was lined both sides with tall green trees. It led deeper into a forest if you looked farther ahead. Lucy was confused now. Why wouldn't they just take the train instead of walking to where ever we were going? Then a thought struck Lucy that she should have thought of a long time ago, but was too distracted playing with Happy.

"Hey, Natsu where are we going?" Lucy asked with a blend of worry and curiosity. She was worried if she might have been wrong about Natsu. I mean, she just met him and she didn't know if he was some sort of weird kidnapper or something. Her curiosity peaked when they started heading into the lush forest.

"I'm going back to my guild."

Lucy was almost shocked out of her skin at his words. She didn't even think to ask him if he was in a guild! Another wonder popped into her head,

"So what guild are you in exactly?" She blurted out her thoughts. She really didn't mean to be so nosey or anything, but she always had a dream to join one guild and she couldn't help but think that there was a possibility that they might be members.

When Natsu didn't reply, Happy piped up

"We are with Fairy Tail!"

No. .

"What?" Lucy asked with unbelief. Was she fortune teller? Is her gut feeling actually coming true? Thoughts swirled around her head, making her a bit dizzy from all of them rocking her brain around.

"I said we are with Fairy Tail, geez get with the program Lucy," Happy said with a hint of teasing.

"No, I know what you said... it's just... really?" She stuttered out her words disbelievingly, in complete shock.

"Hey, Lucy are u okay? Why are you acting pretty weird, you weirdo..." Happy jabbed at Lucy with his little comment

"I'M NOT A WEIRDO, I'm just really surprised! I can't believe you are with fairy tail! Joining them is like a dream to me!"

"What really?" Happy looked up at Lucy with his big wide eyes and a smile, "Well it is the best guild ever! You should come with us and join!"

Lucy almost had a heart attack at the words that came from Happy's little mouth.

"REALLY?! OMG OMG OMG THANKS YOU GUYS!"

Lucy started Dancing, humming, skipping, making weirdly excited noises... pretty much a teen-aged girl whenever a new Starbucks drink comes out.

Natsu turned around and looked at Lucy. She was caught off guard to see so much sadness and loneliness in his eyes as he said,

"Yeah I'm sure you would be great friends with them." He said. A frown plastered on his face, no trace of whatever emotion he had before was to be seen.

To say his words were comforting was correct, but she couldn't help but wonder why he said it like he did. His eyes were lonely and sad. His voice was so disheartened it made her somber thinking about it. He did a good job hiding it because Happy didn't seem to notice at all, and it almost made her mad that he wasn't very observant of his companion. Lucy wondered if Natsu really did want to go back to Fairy Tail because it didn't seem like he did to her at all. But what could he possibly have against it? Was it his guildmates?

"Natsu, are you okay?" Lucy asked quietly, shuffling closer to him as they walked.

Natsu's eyes widened. He had never heard those words together in a full sentence. The way this girl cared about his well being felt so foreign to him... it brought warmth to his soul and it lit a fire under his heart. But just as he found these feelings, they were snuffed out as he remembered all of the darkness and betrail he has endured over the years. He didn't know if she would betray him like the others. He glared at the ground and turned away from her,

"Yeah I'm fine..." He muttered quietly. He didn't want to deal with this right now, he just wanted to find his camp and get to magnolia tomorrow so he could possibly ditch the new blond that stumbled into his life.

Lucy felt a pang of hurt flash through her chest when Natsu turned his back towards her.

"Oh... uh okay" Lucy replied dejectedly. Ugh, this guy was so confusing. It's like he doesn't even know how to talk to her, let alone acknowledge her. It made her feel unimportant and useless like she was a burden.

"Hey Natsu could we stop for a minute? My feet are getting really tired" Lucy said quietly. Why did she have to go and be even more of a burden? It was like she was asking him to hate her!

Happy was silently observing them from afar, with a small sad smile on his face. It was nice seeing Natsu finally talking to someone without completely lashing out at them but he wasn't doing a very good job.

Natsu turned to Lucy, wrapped an arm around her waist and another underneath her knees, and lifted her up. She wasn't hard to carry because he was so strong, but she oddly fit nicely in his arms.

Happy observed the new turn of events with a smile that was no longer sad, but rather a knowing one. Ah finally, some entertainment!

"We are almost to Magnolia, but it's getting dark. We are stopping up ahead to make a camp for overnight" Natsu declared. Natsu carried her for 10 minutes before stopping at a clearing in the forest.

Lucy developed a small blush dusted on her cheeks as Natsu picked her up. His arms braced her with comfort and warmth, and she could feel herself fading out of consciousness, into sleep.

Lucy's eyes jolted open when Natsu abruptly stopped at the clearing. What Lucy saw was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. A small field of lush green grass surrounded by old and dark trees. The sun setting made everything tinge with a light pink, but where there was shade there was a mix of blues that were sparkling. A small pond sat on the edge of the clearing, mostly surrounded by trees but still caught the pink glimmer of the sunset. As if it was a gate, there was a patch of trees open wide enough so you could walk through, that led to the lip of a cliff. The cliff looked over Magnolia, that had orange streetlamps illuminating the city. If you looked closely, you could see the Fairy Tail guild next to the edge of town. She turned back to the clearing and studied it some more.

A campfire pit was already made with a medium sized ring of large stones, there was also a black and grey charcoal heap in the middle of the ring. She just assumed Natsu and Happy had stayed there before since they knew the route here and this area was clearly already used for camping. The grass was long and a lively green. The pond glimmered as the sun began to set. Lucy stood by the cliff and looked off into the distance, remembering the last time she watched a sunset with her mother Layla...

"Its so pretty" she whispered. The sunset settled on her body, placing a heavenly glow on her as she stared at the horizon. To put it lightly, she looked like an angel.

Natsu started getting camp ready when he saw Lucy standing over on the cliff. His eyes immediately widened. Her golden hair was glowing, and her creamy white skin looked so soft. Her chocolate eyes held a distant look, but the small smile on her pink lips was saying that she was at peace. Natsu gulped. He had never seen such a beautiful woman in his life.

"You're pretty..." He whispered back. He didn't think she would be able to hear him since he whispered, but she did. When he heard her, it was only because he had his sharpened dragon senses to help him out. He realized his mistake when she turned to look at him.

Lucy's eyes widened and she turned around fully to look at him. She couldn't quite see his whole face and now that she thought about it, she actually hasn't seen his whole face this whole time.

"Thanks, Natsu," She said with a deep blush on her face. "You know.. I might be able to same for you if you took off that cloak covering your face." Lucy approached him with light footsteps.

"N-No... I don't think I should." He backed away slightly when she came walking towards him. A slight breeze caught her scent and wafted it towards Natsu. Natsu froze. Strawberry's and Vanilla. Not only was she gorgeous, she also smelt amazing and she was the kindest person Natsu had ever met. He was starting to wonder if such a person even existed.

Lucy walked up and stopped directly in front of Natsu. She reached up tentatively and gently pulled his cloak down. What she was expecting was entirely different from what she saw. He was handsome so say the very least. His pink hair spiked up in all directions, in a messy but attractive manner. Some of the locks of hair fell in his eyes, but it just made him all the more enticing. His mildly tanned skin looked soft but strangely enough complimented his sharp jawline. His eyes were different from before though, instead of being onyx-like she first saw them, they were now a shade of yellow and orange that resembled a raging campfire.

They spent a few minutes examining each other until Happy flew up behind them,

"Hey, guys! I just found some fish- oh.. am I interrupting something?" He said with a mischievous grin behind his paw.

His comment seemed to have broken Lucy out of her trance, and she glared at the cat

"NO WAY FLEA-BAG!" She started chasing Happy around the camp while Natsu just stood there frozen in place.

 _What is this..._ He thought, clutching his cloak above his heart. It didn't make sense. He had this feeling she would betray him at first, but it had somehow vanished along their journey when he heard her talking genuinely to Happy. Natsu thought to himself, if he conducted a small experiment he would have his answer. He will determine if she is worthy of his trust, and if he is really willing to open up at least to her.

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 _ **Review!**_


	3. Nightmares and Constellations

**_Just so you know guys, I'm going to be trying different styles of writing. Oh and also different perspectives. Be prepared for some angst or maybe dark themes, but I will also try making some drama and humor chapters in here. I will probably update randomly because I am currently very busy with my school work. The quality of chapters will vary, depending on how long it takes for me to write them (sorry but I get writer's block frequently:( ) My stories can be a bit AU and OOC sometimes but that is how I mean to write the story._**

 ** _Enjoy this chapter and leave a review for suggestions! Criticism is welcomed!_**

 ** _DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Fairy tail._**

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 _Lucy's P.O.V_

 _I was running. Fire… there was fire everywhere. The fire feels like it's burning me from the inside out. Where am I? I can't see… I can't… I can't b-breathe… —_

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 **Third Person P.O.V**

Lucy woke up with a start. Panting, she lifted a trembling hand to wipe her forehead that was now damp with sweat. She couldn't remember what she had dreamt about now, it must have been one of those dreams that were irrelevant. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't even remember when she fell asleep. All of a sudden, bits and pieces of the night came to her.

She remembered standing on the cliff, then standing face to face with Natsu, then going to finish making camp and sitting next to the fire was the last thing she remembered. She checked her watch for the time and noticed that it was one o'clock in the morning.

 _He must have carried me back to bed_ , Lucy thought with a smile, _he's a lot sweeter than he lets on._ She suddenly heard snoring coming from the other side of the tent and she snapped her head in that direction. What she saw was what she had least expected to find...

Natsu was splayed out with his torso fully exposed and his legs spread. His abs were gloriously on display and Lucy couldn't help but want to reach out and touch them. His mouth was agape with a small line of drool trailing down the corner of his mouth to form a tiny puddle under him. Happy was lying on top of Natsu's head snoring contently. The volume of his snoring was so loud that it honestly shocked her because Natsu was usually so quiet. She quietly giggled ay the thought but made sure not to wake Natsu and Happy. Well, now she knew what kind of sleeper he was.

Lucy couldn't fall back asleep with all of their loud snoring, so she decided to go out and take a walk. She stepped out into the brisk air from the warm tent and shivered. She wished she brought some warmer clothes because her tank top and a short skirt just weren't doing it for her. After she put on her shoes, she went to go revive the fire. The amber's were still glowing a deep red, so she put on a few logs and prayed to Mavis that it would start again. After the fire finally caught, she let out a relieved sigh and rubbed her hands together to keep warm. Once her hands were thawed out, and relatively warm, she left the heat of the fire and walked out to the edge of the cliff.

She looked over the city lights that glimmered with warm colors that contrasted beautifully with the night sky. The stars were out and glowing captivatingly. Lucy's mother, Layla, taught her about the zodiac constellations and celestial magic when Lucy was just a child. Layla was a celestial wizard, just as her mother was, and her mother as well. The Heartfilia women were part of a long line of celestial magic, that even dated back to the dragon times. The Heartfilia's were known to have the most powerful celestial magic, as though it was in their genes, and they also had all 12 of the golden zodiac keys as they were passed down from generation to generation. Layla taught Lucy everything she knew about celestial magic before she died, but what Lucy didn't know was that she had a power deep within her that her mother had kept hidden. Even to this day, Lucy doesn't know about the secrets her mother had tucked away from her.

Lucy heard a noise coming from behind her and turned to look in that direction. She sighed a breath of relief when she realized it was just Natsu. He walked up and sat down next to Lucy, who was back to looking over the city.

"Why are you up?" Natsu asked, with a slight frown on his face

"Mm, just thinking" Lucy replied nonchalantly.

They were silent for a long time, looking up at the night sky that shone dark blues, blacks, and brilliant purples. Lucy could make out a few constellations from where they were sitting. She could see Cancer, Leo, and Canis minor. They were all shining brightly, as though they were happy to be there.

"What are you staring at?" Natsu asked, with a curious change in his usual monotone voice. He looked up at the sky to where he thought Lucy was looking,

"I'm trying to find all of the constellations," Lucy said, "Wanna help me?"

"Sure"

Lucy and Natsu spent the night talking aimlessly, all the while looking for constellations. At one point, Lucy made a joke that made Natsu laugh so hard, he had tears in his eyes and was rolling around on the ground. Just the sight made Lucy laugh too, and they laughed together until their stomachs hurt. Lucy was surprised, to say the least, because Natsu seemed like such a dick when she first met him. But now that she knew this side of Natsu, Lucy knew he was a good guy.

They both sighed when their laughter died down, and fell onto their backs, breathing heavily. They stared into the starry sky with the comfort of soft grass beneath their backs, no strain or uncomforted feeling within them.

Lucy thought about similar times she had with her mother back when she was younger. They lived in a large mansion in a secluded area away from the bustle of the city. They were one of the richest family's in Fiore, seeing as her father owned one of the biggest companies in the country and owned a railway. They a mountain and a plot of land way too big for the family of 3. Granted, they had many butlers, maids, and chefs that had to stay at the mansion too.

One day, Lucy and her mother decided to climb the mountain they owned. It wasn't a long hike, only about an hour to get to the top. Once they reached the summit, they found a spot just like where Lucy was now, except it was looking over their mansion and gardens. Where they lived, there was no pollution that clouded the sky so they were able to see every single star that shone down on them. Every clear night, Lucy and Layla went up to that spot and looked for constellations in the night sky. They made jokes and talked about random things, just like she and Natsu were doing now.

Lucy's cheeks were tinted pink from the brisk air and all the laughing and involuntarily shivered when a breeze swept over their body's. Natsu seemed to have noticed this and decided to take action,

"Come here," He suddenly said with a faint tinge of pink on his cheeks, "I can keep you warm."

Lucy had a noticeable blush on her cheeks but she didn't protest. She would rather be warm than cold at this point. She crawled over to where Natsu was sitting and sat on his left-hand side so their legs were touching. Natsu wrapped his large black cloak around both of them and kept his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Warmth instantly flooded Lucy's body and she instinctively huddled closer to the warmth. The next thing she knew, she was falling asleep.

Lucy awoke to a bright light shining in her eyes. She courageously opened one eye slowly and adjusted to the light, then opened her other one carefully not to get blinded. She felt like an idiot when she realized it was just the sun.

She attempted to sit up, but something restricted her from doing so. Her eyes widened when she realized she was lying in Natsu's embrace, tucked in underneath his arm. For a moment, she was panicking and squirming, until she felt his hold tighten slightly. Lucy flabberghasted and her eyes bulged out of her sockets, what the hell was he doing?! When she looked at his face, though, she calmed down but became a bit worried. His face was scrunched up like he was in pain and he was breaking out in a cold sweat as well as shaking a bit.

Lucy placed her hand on his arm to try and calm him down, and to her surprise, it worked! His tense features relaxed beneath her touch, and his erratic breathing slowed down to a shallow breath.

Lucy heaved a sigh, he really scared her for a minute there. She wondered what his dream was about though...

Seeing as it was the early morning, she decided to try and get some more shut eye before Natsu woke up. They laid there, on the bank near the cliff, sleeping in each others arms.

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Natsu's P.O.V

 _Oh god, where am i… There's fire everywhere. Lucy. I can see her, she's burning… She's running away from something. I need to get to her but, I can't… I can't b - —_

 _Wait…_

 _Suddenly there's warmth clouding my nightmare. Where is it coming from?_

I woke up from a sleep that was unsatisfying and restless. I can't seem to remember what my dream was about, though. I creaked both of my eyes open only to find that I had somehow latched onto Lucy last night and I am still holding onto her. I loosened my hold on her and I heard her let out a little whine. I can't believe I'm saying this but it was kind of... cute. I thought back to last night. Man, that was the most fun I have ever had. I didn't even know what fun was until last night, THAT'S how fun it was. A smile slowly made itself onto my face, and I closed my eyes and hummed. Smiling felt weird since I haven't done it in so long, it was almost foreign to me.

When have I ever been this happy? Was it because of Lucy?

Oh no. I'm not going to play the naive child. I know for sure it's because of Lucy. She was just so nice and bubbly, and she had this big sunfish smile that shined so bright it could light up the sky. Not to mention that she wasn't afraid to try and approach me. Hell, she even made me laugh, and no one could do that until now.

I've made up my mind. I'm going to open up to this girl, and if she runs away? Well, I guess that will prove for real that I 'm the monster everyone thinks I am.

 _Review!_


	4. Fairy Tail

**A/N Hey guys! Please enjoy this chapter, the next one will be up soon!**

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL, NOR DO I OWN ANY OTHER REFERENCES I USED**

* * *

Lucy's P.O.V

It was already late afternoon when I woke up. The sun had risen high in the sky and the ground was warm from basking in the daylight. Animals had come out to do their daily hunting, and I could tell nature was hard at work. I couldn't help but feel like I was missing out on doing some productive hard work, seeing as everyone has gotten to their duties. And by everyone, i mean the animals. It still motivated me to get up and get going!

I went to go shake Natsu to wake up, but I stopped before doing so. He seemed like he was under so much stress lately, not to mention sleeping on the hard ground last night, so I figure the least I can do for him is get everything ready before we have to go. I silently back away from where I was beside Natsu and got to work.

I started with the tent because it was the most work. I carefully picked up Happy (who was sleeping in the tent), bundled him up in a blanket, and set him down to sleep beside Natsu. After removing all of our stuff from the tent, unpegging it, taking out the poles and folding up the tent, it was finally ready to go into the bag. It only took me about 10 minutes to do, since I had some previous experience.

Next, was all of the useless shit we brought. I sighed to myself, might as well put on a good attitude and clean this up or else I'll be in a bad mood when Natsu wakes up. I started with Natsu and Happy's stuff. When I was nearly done the cleaning, I started humming a song that I learned when I was little.

 _"Deep in the meadow, under the willow_

 _A bed of grass, a soft green pillow_

 _Lay down your head, and close your eyes_

 _And when they open, the sun will rise…"_

Lucy's sweet voice floated to where Natsu and Happy were sleeping, though only one of them woke up to it.

* * *

 _Natsu's P.O.V_

A angelic voice reached my sensitive ears while I was in a light sleep. It brought warmth and comfort to my uneasy soul, and I felt my heart move by its kindness. I opened my eyes to find our camp cleaned up, and Lucy cleaning up some last bits and pieces scattered through the site. I finally recognized the voice to be Lucy's.

All of a sudden, she stopped singing. I smelt salt reach my nostrils and I looked over to Lucy. There were tears trailing out of her eyes, a crystal like blue tint to them. She had started crying at some point when she was singing the song, and now she looked like she just couldn't anymore. I saw her throat constrict, so i decided to say something.

"Its ok to cry, you know," I said without really choosing my words, instead letting them tumble out.

Lucy's shocked face turned to me. Her tears were flowing like a small stream now. Her top lip bit down on her bottom lip to keep from quivering, but to no avail. She looked to the ground for a moment, then back to me. But it was different this time. Her eyes looked like they were pleading for something, but what could she possibly want from me? Silence was settling between us, but I could still hear her faint heartbeat from where I was as well as her sad sniffles.

"You can talk to me about it if you want, you don't have to though…" I suggested uneasily. Sometimes talking about things is the best way to release your emotions, but who was I to say that, I mostly never even talked to anyone.

She sniffled once before looking at me with a sad smile, answering,

"Maybe another day"

* * *

We packed up the last of camp together. Happy was still sleeping, so I strapped him onto the top of my back pack. I wrapped him in a blanket first because he was the closest I had to a friend so I didn't want him to be uncomfortable. I was starting to rethink that last statement though. I think im probably pretty close to Lucy now even though I've only known her for like two days, but Happy knows more about my past than anyone. He had been there when I was alone, and all those times at the guild hall.

I had a pretty bad relationship with my guild, but it was mostly when i was just a kid and I had all this hate that filled the inside of me. I left for a while after one particular day when I showed them my true form, then Makarov told me to leave and come back when I had control of it. I came back stronger than ever, but while I was gone I was alone so I had to get used to it. I guess I became too used to it, and lashed out at everyone who tried to talk to me. I didn't mean to hurt their feelings, it was just that I was so close to feeling human warmth again that it scared me.

But Lucy was different. She holds kindness like no other, even though I've only known her for a few short days, shes shown me so many emotions I've never felt before. She made me laugh, and she gave me a chance to open up to her. Being raised by Acnologia, all I have learned has been to _never trust, never fear, and never show mercy_. These are the laws he lived by, that he tried to incorporate into my being. It always felt wrong though, I never understood why or how he could hate people so much. Whenever I asked, he would send a blast of fire my way, and if I didn't dodge it that would be my punishment for asking such a 'foolish' question.

I looked over to Lucy, who was walking facing the ground, her eyes glued to the dirt road in front of her like it was her main focus. I cleared my throat and she snapped out of her little daze at the sudden noise. It was understandable that she would zone out though. Not long ago, we had continued on our trek to Magnolia, but it was completely silent and not very interesting. We walked on trails and dirt roads in the forest until we reached a small checkpoint that I planted to remind me of where I was. It was a small ribbon that I found on the ground once, tied to a tree.

"We are almost to Magnolia." I said, not really bothering to put any emotion into my tone. Im not really that excited to go back anyway, since everyone will either ignore me or stare at me as if i was some sort of species they had yet to identify.

Her face instantly lit up like a Christmas tree, and I couldn't help but grin a little at her happiness. God, what was this girl doing to him?

"Really?! Oh my gosh, im so excited!" She squealed, but I could tell her excitement was laced with nervousness as well. I just hope they will treat her decently, knowing them, I wouldn't know what to expect when I showed up with a girl, let alone a girl that wanted to join Fairy Tail. I internally groaned.

* * *

We finally arrived in front of the guild hall entrance, and I could practically feel heat coming from Lucy's excitement, while I was starting to sweat due to nervousness. I had never gotten so nervous in my life, but then again I guess I've had no reason to. I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to Lucy, who was gazing at me worriedly. I gave her a look that said, _im ok_ , and opened the guild doors.

* * *

 _Lucy's P.O.V_

I have never been so excited in my whole entire life. I've been waiting for the moment where I could join fairy tail for years, and now when the time has finally come, I couldn't be happier. I looked at Natsu, and noticed that he looked really… nervous? I placed a hand on his shoulder to see if he was ok, and he gave me a look that said don't worry about it, so I nodded and turned back to the guild doors with anew confidence.

Natsu pushed the doors open and what I was expecting was nothing like what i was presented with. There were fights going on all over the guild, with tables flipped, bar stools broken and punches being thrown. One guy kept shouting "MAN!" while others let out battle cries. People were being tossed from one side of the guild hall to the other, creating craters in the walls. I stood in the door way, gawking at the scene. I looked over to Natsu, whose face had hardened to a slight frown, but otherwise he looked void of emotion.

"Hey are you sure this is okay?" I asked Natsu. He looked so pale, I don't want him to feel uncomfortable with bringing me in, since I could always just come back later without him.

Suddenly the guild went silent. Everyone's eyes were on us, but it was an extremely uncomfortable stare that made me squirm in my spot. To say they looked shocked was an understatement. Some of them went a bit pale, and some of them had their mouths hanging wide open.

"Umm, is it ok if I could maybe join this guild?" I piped up. The silence was killing me. Natsu turned around and _I_ snapped my head around to look at him.

"Wait Nat-" I tried to say but was cut off,

"Meet up with me later, these people wont talk with me here." Natsu said before walking out of the guild and closing the doors behind him.

Once the doors closed, I heard people let out relived sighs and others inhaled like they had stopped breathing. A stunning woman, with white hair and ocean blue eyes wearing a red dress approached me.

"Hello, my name is Mirajane! Nice to meet you…"

"Huh? O-oh Hi! My name is Lucy! Its nice to meet you Mirajane!" I forgot about Natsu for a split second and focused on Mirajane. Oh my gosh, I can't believe I'm meeting the famous model from sorcerer weekly! She was in last weeks centerfold!

"Well hello Lucy! You said you wanted to join Fairy Tail right? Come right this way" She said with a kind smile and a sweet voice. She gestured towards a corner of the room where a desk sat with papers on it.

"W-wait are you sure this is ok? I mean like just letting me join like this?" I asked worriedly. I mean… shouldn't a guild master be doing this? It's weird that he wasn't around too, I wonder where he is.

"Our guild master is out of town right now, but I guess I should ask you a couple questions to make sure you are suitable. So, are you a criminal?" She asked, still smiling.

"No"

"Do you use Magic?" She questioned again.

"Yes"

"Ok looks like you can join! Oh, wait one more question.." She said with a hint of a knowing smile.

"Well, what is it?" I asked eagerly, I just cant wait any longer!

"What is your relationship with Natsu Dragneel"

* * *

 _ **Review!**_


	5. Friends

The Tamer

Chapter 5 - Friends

* * *

 **Lucy's P.O.V**

"My relationship…?" I echoed Mira's words. What did she mean by relationship? I mean, it's pretty obvious that we're friends, considering he brought me here, but we aren't romantically involved or anything. My face began to feel hot all of a sudden, and memories of that night of camping flooded my mind. He may have made some gestures that you could consider slightly intimate, but I don't think he meant anything of them.

"Yeah, your relationship! I mean, like, how did you meet him? Do you talk to him?" Mira asked all of these questions that honestly surprised me. Of course I talk to him, how else would I have known he was in Fairy Tail in the first place… Oh yeah, Happy told me. Well, It doesn't matter if her questions are weird, I have to answer them anyway.

"Uhh well you see, I was in Hargeon for personal reasons when I heard Salamander was in town. When I went to go see him, he was a fraud. That's when Natsu stepped in and took him out. I've been talking to him and Happy since last week, and ended up here in Fairy Tail where I've only dreamed of joining since I was little." I explained to her, earning a slightly shocked look from Mira. Seriously, I can't see what the big deal is. I talked to Natsu, so what? Is it really that uncommon for him to talk to his fellow guild members?

"I-I see… So you've only known him for about a week? And he hasn't inflicted any pain upon you at all?" Mira asked with a worried gaze. I was shocked by her words. Hurt me? Who does she think he is, a monster?

"No! I-I mean.. uhh.. no ma'am" I objected to her words. She suddenly went quiet and gazed at me with eyes that I feel we're looking into the depths of my soul. She was looking at me with such intensity that it made quiver beneath her blue irises. Then, her imposing demeanor vanished within an instant, and she giggled lightly.

"Oh, I see! I guess I won't ask any more of it then" She said with a smile that made me feel a lot better. I felt like a weight was lifted off of my shoulders. Mira grabbed the guild mark stamp and raised it off of it's little pallet on the desk. "What color do you want it to be?" She asked with a sweet smile.

Suddenly, it was as if all of my thoughts, problems, and questions went away and I focused all of my attention on Mira. I was filled to the brim with excitement, practically swimming in happiness.

"Pink, Please!" I requested gleefully, almost dizzy with anticipation. How long I had waited for this moment, it feels so surreal to really be happening.

"Got it! Now, where do you want it?" She asked, the stamp in her right hand, waiting to be pressed to my skin. Stars were beginning to form in my eyes and when I couldn't contain my excitement, I let out a squeal along with some giggles. I extended my right hand,

"Right here!" I said, my voice laced with utter excitement, with a small hint of disbelief. After this, I will be an official Fairy Tail member! This is what I've dreamed and fantasized about ever since that lady saved me when I was a little girl. She saved me when my carriage was out of control, with nobody driving it at all. The woman jumped into the front seat, took control of the horses, and saved my life. I regret not being able to thank her before she vanished, but before she did, I saw her pink fairy tail guild mark on her right hand. I hope I will meet her again someday so I can say thank you.

Mira lowered the stamp onto my hand and it glowed a bright pink. I didn't think the stamp would hurt, but maybe it would feel a bit hot? Instead, it felt like a slightly cold wind focused on one part of my hand. She lifted the stamp to reveal a new, pink guild mark that looked like a fresh tattoo. I squealed again and admired the new affiliation mark on my hand, the symbol of family and pride.

I wished Natsu was here to see this, after all, he was the one who brought me here! I need to figure out what's going on with him because I don't understand why he's being so distant all of a sudden. Oh my gosh! I totally just remembered he told me to meet up with him! I want to take a quick look around the guild first though.. and then I'll go find him.

I turned around to look over the guild. People were drinking, fighting and chatting, spread out in groups among the guild hall. Then, that's when a boy with dark hair approached me.

"Hey, I'm Gray" Gray introduced himself and held out a hand, "What's your name, new girl?"

I reached for his hand and gently shook it, "My name is Lucy" I said with a smile. Ahh! I'm already meeting people!

"It's nice to meet you, Lucy. So, I saw you come in with Natsu… what's with that?" He asked with a slight frown. Seriously, even though it was only Mira who asked, I'm already tired of explaining why I was with him. I don't want to be rude though, so I might as well just explain shortly to get it over with.

"I met him in Hargeon, we became friends, I spent the night with him, and now I'm here!" I cut my explanation short, but then I realized that Gray might misunderstand my words…

"YOU WHAT?!" Gray yelled with his eyes bulging out of his sockets.

"NO NO NO I MEAN I CAMPED WITH HIM AND HAPPY PLEASEDONTMISINTERPRETWHATIJUSTSAID" I rushed to correct myself. OH MY GOD HE MUST THINK-

"Oh I wasn't, like that, because of that. It's just… he considers you two friends?" Gray asked with disbelief evident in his voice. He was looking at me with his dark blue eyes widened.

"Uhh yeah?" I replied with uncertainty. SERIOUSLY what is up with these people and Natsu? I mean, he may not be the most open of people, but that doesn't mean they can judge him just for being a bit more private than other people. Wait a second. I just realized that I don't actually _know_ Natsu or the others in this guild yet, so I'm not really in a position to judge the situation.

He looked at me like I didn't have a head on my shoulders.

"Wow, you're like the first person to ever talk to him" His eyes were still wide as he spoke in a small voice.

"So um, do you think you could show me around the guild? I just got here a couple of minutes ago so I don't know anyone here" I said with an embarrassed smile. It was the truth, other than seeing some of the famous fairy tail girls in sorcerer magazine.

"Yeah, sure. Follow me and I'll show you around" He gestured with his hand as he started strolling towards the front of the guild. Since we were at the back of the guild, we had to walk through the whole guild to get to the front, so I was a bit nervous.

Gray started to point out many people who were in groups around the guild. He pointed to a woman with bronze colored hair wearing a light green dress and glasses, and beside her, a man wearing a burgundy coat with long electric green hair. Beside them sitting on a bench, a tall and slim man wearing a metal visor and had wooden barrel shaped dolls hovering above him.

"Those three are the Thunder Legion, Laxus's personal fan group. The woman is named Evergreen, the guy with green hair is Freed and the guy with the… dolls… is Bickslow" Gray explained. Wow, they look like a weird bunch but powerful none the less… AHH SO COOL!

Next, he pointed to a girl with short, pretty blue hair with her nose stuck in a book. A guy was leaning over her who looked… scary. His long jet black hair almost reaching his waist and he had piercings for eyebrows and up his arms. On his shoulder sat a black cat which I now knew were called exceeds thanks to happy, with a crescent shaped scar across his eye. It was weird how content the girl was with his intimidating presence.

"The girl over there is named Levy, and don't worry she's super nice even though she hangs out with Gajeel, who you would have already guessed is the guy beside her. Oh, and that's his exceed, Lily." Gray pointed them out.

We walked to the bar at the front of the guild, where at least six people were sitting. The first was a brute man with tanned skin and white hair, wearing what looked like platform sandals and a large white jacket. The second one I recognized as Mira, and beside her was a girl that looked incredibly like her, with short white hair and blue irises. "Those three are the Strauss siblings Mira, Lisanna and Elfman" Gray said as we walked up.

A younger girl with long dark blue hair and brown eyes was hugging a white exceed to her stomach while talking to a woman with long scarlet hair dressed in a knight's armor. She was beautiful, with dark purple eyes that held secrets and despair but also immense strength and knowledge. I instantly admired her, for unknown reasons. I had a feeling though, that it had to do with her body language and authority.

"That girl is named Wendy and her exceed is named Carla. Last but not least is Erza, the one with the red hair," Gray said to Lucy as they finally arrived to have a seat at the bar, "Trust me though, whatever you do, do _not_ get on Erza's bad side because holy shit she will-"

"Gray… are you telling the new girl things that should not be said?" Erza said from her stool at the bar, glancing in our direction.

"Oh! How rude of me, I'm Erza Scarlet, S-class mage of Fairy Tail." She said with a slight bow. Wow, she's pretty AND respectable, I think I love her already!

"It's nice to meet you Erza, my name is Lucy." I said while extending a hand. She reached for my hand and I squeaked at how hard she grasped my hand. I don't think it meant anything, but boy was she strong.

"It's nice to meet you too, Lucy" She shook my hand slightly before releasing it. I instantly brought my other hand to cover up the throbbing red one and smiled at her. A voice suddenly broke through our introduction,

"Hello! My name is Wendy, I hope we can be friends!" Wendy poked out from behind Erza and waved at me with a big smile on her face. I smiled just as brightly back at her and waved,

"I'm Lucy! I'm sure we will become great friends, Wendy."

* * *

Hours flew by and I had nearly met everyone in the guild. I really liked talking to Levy, Erza, Mira and Wendy the most though, not to be mean or anything. We just kind of… clicked. They were super nice and cute, and they were fun to hang around with. I didn't see Gray much after he showed me around, so I never got the chance to say thanks. I heard some people saying he went on a job with Juvia though, but I didn't see Juvia around the guild before so I was quite confused. I really want to meet her though, some say she was a really powerful mage part of phantom lord before joining Fairy Tail, as well as Gajeel.

I was talking to Erza when I finally remembered something _super_ important. I was supposed to meet Natsu somewhere after I joined the guild! And what really surprised me was that other than Mira and Gray, no one else brought up Natsu. It was as if no one actually knew he was a part of their guild, which was really weird. I didn't bother bringing him up though because I hated answering all those embarrassing questions!

"Hey Erza, what time is it?" I asked with a small hint of urgency in my tone. Oh god, it was already getting dark. I held in a deep sigh and cursed myself, _damn it_ _Lucy he might have been waiting for you!_

"Its approximately seven o'clock in the evening. Is there somewhere you need to be?" She asked with concern. Oh Erza, if only you knew.

"Uh yeah actually, do you think you guys will be at the guild tomorrow? I would love to hang out again, that was so fun!" I said grabbing my coat. Erza smiled warmly at me,

"Yeah we're here every day, just come by in the morning and you might be able to tag along on a job!" She said with enthusiasm, eating another piece of the strawberry cake on the bar in front of her.

"Great, I can't wait! I'll see you guys tomorrow!" I waved at them as I ran out of the guild doors.

It was a pretty cold night, so when I exited the warm aura of the guild into the brisk air of the evening, I could feel goosebumps running along my arms. I quickly put on my coat to keep the warmth I had left alive. _I wonder where I could find Natsu,_ I thought to myself. _Maybe the park? Or in the market?_ I let my thoughts wander around, searching for an Idea of where Natsu could be. After about five minutes straight of nonstop thinking, I sighed when I came up with no good leads. Oh well, my first idea was good, so I might as well head to the park.

And so, I headed toward the park, unaware of the eyes that followed me, cloaked in shadows.

* * *

 _ **Review!**_


	6. The Park

**A/N** **Oh my lord I AM SO SORRY GUYS! I haven't updated in nearly a month and omg I'm so sorry. I've had test after test at school lately because its the end of term two and I hate to say it but my grades are more important to me than this story :( Good news though, it's spring break in a couple days so I will update plenty in these next couple weeks :) Please enjoy this chapter! I've already started on the next one!**

* * *

 **The Tamer - Ch. 6**

* * *

Natsu left the guild silently, slightly pissed off but overall dejected. He just wanted the guild to allow Lucy to join, even if it meant he had to leave for that to happen. It made him mad that they didn't even trust him enough to let him be around other people, afraid that he'll put them in the hospital. Why couldn't they just forgive and forget? He had made mistakes in the past, yes, but that didn't mean that he hadn't changed over the years.

He wanted them to know that he was different now, he wasn't the same kid that Acnologia made him out to be. Oh, but he forgot that he was the one who avoided them. Why did he do that anyway? Right, because no one wants him around.

He walked along the cobblestone roads of Magnolia and kicked a stray pebble in his path. He was only about 10 minutes away from the guild when he decided to pick up his pace. He walked home with incredible speed, rushing through the most populated parts of Magnolia, sprinting through the forest and allast he arrived at his old log house. It was a beautiful and rustic house that was situated on top of a grassy hill, with a waterfall only a few minutes walk away. It was actually located quite a ways above Magnolia. From where it was, he could see almost everything.

In the mornings, his house was filled with warm sunlight that beamed in lines across the room, flowing through his window shades. At night, he had a wide view of the starry sky on a clear night, as well as the city lights that glowed just enough to keep a bit of luminance in his room. He didn't like the dark, mostly because it resembled the monster that was his past.

His home was actually quite kempt, nothing like you would expect from a Chaos Dragon Slayer. It wasn't the cleanest of all houses but it was definitely among those lines. He was almost never in his house, only whenever he was injured and needed a place to crash or when he wanted to escape all living beings. Some people pissed him off for no apparent reason, and he couldn't do anything about it because he was trying to earn back the guilds trust, which was something extremely difficult to do if he went around injuring people who only got on his nerves a bit.

So he decided to run. It wasn't cowardly if he was doing it for the sake of others, so he just did it. Eventually it became a habit, something that he grew accustomed to, being alone. He didn't want to hurt people. Ever since he saw the world that was what he hadn't been taught, he had become angry. Very, very, angry. But he wasn't angry at the world, he was angry at Acnologia, who told him that all life was, was betrayal. And then redemption. He had been taught only _half_ of the world. Acnologia wasn't wrong, but he didn't tell him everything like a real father would. He knew now what it felt like to laugh and be content, something he hadn't learned in his early stages of life.

Natsu entered his house and put his backpack down on the couch in the living room. Once the weight was released from his back, he sighed deeply and slouched his shoulders, rolling them both a few times to work out the kinks in his joints. After he heard multiple pleasant sounding cracks he sighed again and slumped down onto his lounger just across from the couch. Natsu closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, enjoying the silence that was apparent in his old house. It was peaceful. He could occasionally hear the beating of a humming bird's wings as it hovered around the puddle of water on his porch, using his supernaturally enhanced hearing of course. He sat on his couch basking in the warm, silent daylight and released a content yawn. Since he was alone, he could unravel the layers upon layers of mist from his soul and finally set it free. Since he was alone, he could finally… breathe.

* * *

Natsu cracked his eyes open to a warmly lit room. Dusk had settled upon the horizon and had cast a beautiful blend of fiery colors to shine through his window shades. The heat from a sunny day had warmed the house to the point that he was sweating when he woke up on his lounger. He peeled his sweaty backside away from the heated chair and glanced around the room. It was obviously late, he must have slept about 5 hours. His living room was now gold mixed with a color close to a pink rose. This was the first time in a while he had felt so at peace. He wished Lucy could see how peaceful and quiet it was; he was sure she would love it.

Then he was blasted with a wave of memory. He was supposed to meet Lucy once she was done with signing up with the guild! _Shit_ , he thought, _I totally forgot about her_. He wasn't too worried though, after all the years of spending time at the guild listening to people talk while he was up in the roof shafts, he knew how much they liked talking. That meant they are probably keeping her stuck there for a good long time or at least until it got dark. It was sunset, so he had about 5 minutes to get down there.

He rose to his feet and walked across his living room to a closet where he kept his extra clothes. He pulled off his boots and tore off his cloak. Once he was in his regular clothes, he pulled those off too. After replacing his clothes with a plain black v-neck t-shirt and his classic white pants that tied off at the calves. He wore black hunting boots too. Natsu took out a fresh pitch-black cloak and slung it over her shoulders.

Natsu strode out of his house and looked towards the sky. It was getting darker by the second, he would have to move fast if he wanted to get to the guild before darkness sets in. With a new energy, Natsu pumped his legs to a sprinting pace almost immediately, not bothering to jog first so his muscles wouldn't cramp up. He was used to it though, so it wasn't anything new. He has had to bolt away from his sleep once when a monster suddenly invaded his camp. With his dragon senses he would feel the ground shake in the slightest; luckily he is a light sleeper.

He knew the streets by heart. The turns, the cracks, the alleys; he remembered all of them. Natsu had lived here for most of his life since he came here when he was only a small 8 year old. The guild master found him wandering in the forest, mumbling about finding Acnologia and staying awake. When Makarov tried to reach out to him, he immediately lashed out and rejected his kindness. Makarov still took him in though, because Natsu had no parents, nor guardian to speak of. He showed him Fairy Tail. He gave him a home there.

Natsu reminisced his early years with the guild as he ran with a small frown on his face. If only he had been kind and cooperative with his guild, they might have accepted him into their family. But instead he was a brat who only caused trouble and inconvenience to others. He even caused them pain. Now, he deeply regretted his actions and wanted to apologize, but no one would dare get within 10 feet of him.

The sky was now a dark blue, black steadily soaking the sky. There were a few clouds in the sky but it was a rather warm and humid night. Natsu slowed to a walk when he was almost at the park. It was on the way to the guild, so he figured he might catch Lucy walking back… to where? She didn't have an apartment in Magnolia yet so where was she going to stay? Maybe she asked one of their guildmates.

He was about to take his cloak off to reveal his face as he looked around for any citizens when he saw two black figures in an alley, poking their heads around the wall and looking in the direction of the park. Natsu went into stealth mode, making his footsteps light and soundless and crouching slightly. He slipped across the road to position himself behind the two suspicious people and jumped onto the roof just above them. He followed their trail of vision to see what they were spying on and saw… _Lucy?_

Natsu's eyes widened. Were they spying on Lucy? This couldn't be good. He moved himself to lean over the ledge and fell. The buildings weren't very high, so he could land softly without making much noise. Creeping up behind the two, he got close enough to be able to tell that they were both men, wearing dark blue cloaks. Natsu lit his fists on fire.

"Turn around and you will face consequences," Natsu whispered, seeing the two's shoulders tense up at his voice. They backed away from their position and faced the wall. When Natsu came closer, the man closest to the outside bolted with great speed towards the forest. _Shit!_ , Natsu thought while quickly turning to go after him, _he's faster than Jet!_

Once Natsu turned however, the second person flipped out a knife and lunged at his back. Natsu had enough time to look at his attacker, but not enough to dodge the knife coming his way. The knife plunged into his lower abdomen with a powerful thrust. Natsu stood there for a moment in shock before ripping it out of his stomach and jumping at his attacker. One moment he was there, the next he wasn't. He disappeared into the night before Natsu could land a hit on him.

Natsu cursed the men that dared spy on his friend, not to mention stabbing him. He was furious. Who were they? What did they want with Lucy? Were they in a guild? So many questions Natsu had yet to figure out. He was angry that he didn't have the speed to take these two down, granted they were very fast.

Natsu sighed in defeat but felt a sharp and hot pain in his lower abdomen. He suddenly felt dizzy and disoriented and fell against the cold stone wall of the alleyway. He groaned in pain as he moved his shirt away from the deep stab wound that was dripping scarlet red blood all over the ground. He ripped off a strip of his cloak and tied it tightly around the wound to prevent any more unnecessary blood loss.

He needed to get to Lucy to make sure they didn't go after her. Limping along the wall, his blood left a rather large smear that trailed behind him. He would have to clean that up later. As he reached the end of the wall, he regained every single fiber of his strength and pushed himself into a standing position, forcing himself to walk towards where Lucy was. He was surprised she didn't notice the man that ran into the woods. It just goes to show that she needed his protection.

He slowly dragged himself towards her, jolts of white hot pain sent up his spine every time he took a step. "Lucy," He whispered, quiet as a mouse. His throat felt dry like sandpaper for some reason, and he tasted metal. He guessed at some point he coughed up some blood and it dried in his throat from all of the dry heaving he was doing.

"Lucy," He added strength to his call, only for his voice to sound hoarse and cracked. She was walking along the grass of the sidewalk, absentmindedly staring at her feet as she walked, when she looked up to where she heard his voice with a bright smile. As soon as he saw her smile, it vanished and was replaced with a look of pure horror. A horror that reflected concern and worry for him. Even though he was in immense pain, his heart warmed at the fact that she really did care about him.

Lucy bolted to where Natsu had been standing, and just as he was about to fall she caught his head on her lap. Her eyes darted to his body to find the wound when she found his cloak soaked with blood and dripping onto his pants. "Natsu! Oh my god, we need to get you medical attention right now!" Lucy said desperately as she struggled to rip off a strip of fabric from her skirt to cover his stomach.

Natsu struggled to speak for a moment before saying, "No… Just get me somewhere where I can do it myself please," He said, panting from the use of energy. Who knew speaking could be so exhausting. He was beginning to shut his eyes when Lucy snapped him out of his sleepy state.

"Natsu don't fall asleep! Keep your eyes open okay?!" Lucy yelled down at him from where she was above him, searching the nearby streets for an Inn or a Hotel. She saw a tall building just down the street and her eyes brightened with hope.

"Okay let's go to that hotel, can you stand?" Lucy asked, looking to Natsu again who was moaning in pain on the ground below her. He nodded in the slightest and lifted his head from her lap and thrust himself upward into a standing position. He felt as if he could scream of pain. A flash of white clouded his vision with intense burning agony. Natsu always thought it better to just get it over and done with instead of prolonging the suffering.

As they stood up, Lucy grabbed Natsu's arm and wrapped it around her shoulders. They made their way towards the hotel.

* * *

 _ **Review!**_


	7. Stabbed

**(A/N) Enjoy this chappy!**

* * *

 **The Tamer -** **C** **h.7**

 _*previously*_

 _Lucy grabbed Natsu's arm and slung it around her shoulder. They made their way towards the hotel._

* * *

It took ten minutes to get Natsu to the hotel down the street. Lucy set him down in the lobby and rushed to the receptions desk in the adjoining room. As she was getting a room, the receptionist replied that they only had penthouses left to loan out. Luckily Lucy had a credit card in case of emergencies that she immediately gave to the man behind the white marble desk. Unfortunately, it looked like they were taking refuge in an incredibly expensive hotel called _Hôtel à étoiles soirs._ She knew she was going to get charged big time for it, but she didn't care. She just needed to get Natsu somewhere safe, and fast.

The man gave her a card with a small and elegant keychain dangling through a hole in the corner of the card. It was a small silver chain with a little heart that dangled from the end, covered in fake diamonds. At least she thought they were fake. In a place this nice, who knows what it is.

Lucy ran back to where she left Natsu and lifted him back up again onto her shoulder. They weaved through the empty hallways that echoed every step they took, and finally found a set of elevators. Lucy leaned to reach the button to call the elevator and adjusted her grip on Natsu. He was quiet, too quiet for comfort. His head was hanging so she couldn't see his facial features or expression. She reached tentatively to cup his face and turned it so she could look him in the eyes. She gasped when she saw his eyes were dull, his face deathly pale, and his mouth with a trail of blood leaking out of the corner.

"Natsu, hang in there. We're almost to the room just don't fall asleep okay?" Lucy reassured him, speaking with a soft voice that nearly cracked under the pressure in her throat. She had tears forming in the corner of her eyes that were threatening to fall, but instead of letting them flow she promised herself she wouldn't cry until she had saved Natsu.

How had it come to this anyway? One moment she was going to the park, peacefully walking along the sidewalk when Natsu comes out of nowhere bleeding like a pig in a slaughterhouse with a stab wound in his stomach. She wanted to know who did this to him so she could hunt them down and make them pay for it. What were their motives?

The elevator dinged and she snapped of her thought bubble, then turned her head towards the opening, heavy steel doors. After she lugged a now limp Natsu into the elevator, she looked at her key. **11-12.** That was her room number. She lunged for the eleventh key on the wall of the elevator next to the closing doors and clicked it seven times with disparity. Knowing it would take a minute or two to get to the highest floor, she turned to Natsu and applied pressure to his stomach. He groaned at the sudden contact but allowed her to do it none the less. He didn't feel like dying today.

Lucy heard the elevators automated voice saying they were on the tenth floor, and she picked Natsu up from the floor. As soon as the doors opened, she ran forward with Natsu still limply hanging on to her shoulder and read the signs to direct her where their room was. She followed the signs left and rushed down various hallways that were lined with velvet red walls and purple carpeted walkways. Then finally, she reached the room that she so desperately needed to save Natsu.

She grabbed her key and swiped it at the white door with the numbers **11-12** engraved with a silvery coating with utmost urgency. When the small device on the door turned green, the sounds of bolts and locks unlocking were like music to both of their ears. Lucy reached forward and pushed the heavy door forwards to be greeted with the smell of fresh linens and flowers; which is to be expected when you rent a room in a place this nice. She knew from experience.

Lucy pushed Natsu inside and let the door slam on its own, then walked him over to the nearest bed and laid him down. Once he looked stable enough to be left on his own for a few minutes, she ran into the bathroom and grabbed everything she needed. She grabbed towels, a bucket of warm water, a sewing kit, and a first-aid kit. After she ran back to Natsu and set everything down, she bolted to the kitchen and grabbed one of the small bottles of vodka from the fridge. After setting up everything next to the bed, she washed her hands in the sink and prepared herself for some messy, bloody work.

She jogged over to Natsu and observed him. He was incredibly pale from blood loss and his breathing was very shallow. As Lucy placed her ear to his chest, she could hear his heart beating slowly, a sign that he was still alive but also a sign that he was nearing death by the minute. She concluded that he wasn't poisoned when he was stabbed, which was a very good thing because she didn't know how to deal with poisons, let alone identify them.

She reached over to Natsu and untied his bloodsoaked makeshift bandage to reveal the stab wound that was now turning purple around the edges. It was about eight inches long and one inch wide. Lucy grimaced at the sight. She wasn't used to dealing with these things so suddenly, but she read about it in books so she knew exactly what she needed to do. She grabbed the small bottle of alcohol and uncapped it.

"Natsu listen to me, this is going to hurt… a lot, so don't make any sudden movements" Lucy said, holding up the bottle for him to see. His eyes widened a bit but he nodded in consent before grabbing a towel and biting down on it. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly in her own, sending him as much reassurance as she possibly could. Lucy took a deep breath and started pouring it into his wound, she heard faint sizzling noises but paid no mind to them and she comforted Natsu, who was screaming muffled noises into the towel that blocked them. His back arched suddenly and his eyes were clenched tightly closed. The pain started to wear off and he was left breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling while his forehead was lined with sweat. She removed the towel and looked over to

Lucy didn't know what came over her, but she acted on instinct and leaned over his head. She placed a gentle kiss on his temple and whispered, "You're doing great, just a bit more okay? You'll be fine, I promise you're in good hands," She said with a smooth voice that calmed his nerves.

"Okay," He whispered, keeping his eyes tightly closed, ready for anything. Lucy grabbed another towel and dipped it in the bucket of now lukewarm water, then gently wiped the blood away from around the wound that was bleeding in only a small dribble now. Once she was done, she grabbed the sewing kit and pulled out the thickest thread she could find and a medium length needle. She let go of his hand and threaded the needle quickly, then paused to look uncertainly at Natsu.

"Hey, do you think you have enough magic power to heat this needle?" Lucy asked, holding up the needle and glancing back to his wound. Natsu opened his eyes and stared at the needle, _do I have enough power to even create a flame?_ He thought, but he summoned the strength he had left none the less. Giving the flame every ounce of power he had, he lit his fist with a dark blue and black flame. Lucy immediately placed the needle inside of the flame and heated it until it was glowing hot. She nodded to Natsu and he extinguished the flame, preserving what little energy he had left.

"Okay, are you ready?" Lucy asked, hovering the needle above the wound and waiting for his consent to continue. "Yeah," He breathed out, "Do it."

She took heed to those few words and punctured his skin with the needle. His body twitched slightly but he didn't seem to be in any intense pain, which was good for Lucy knowing she wasn't really hurting him and it made her job easier. She poised herself to get a better angle above him before going through again. After she was satisfied with twenty small stitches, she grabbed the first aid kit and pulled out a large bandage, polysporin, a tensor bandage and some tape.

"You're done! Do you feel better?" Lucy asked as she was positioning the last of the supplies she needed in front of her. She saw Natsu sigh in relaxation and relief, "Yeah I'm good. Thank you, Lucy, for all of your help." He said, looking at her with a mixture of gratitude and sadness in his dark eyes.

"It's no problem," Lucy replied, applying polysporin to his newly fixed wound, "What happened anyway?" She asked, covering up his injury with a large bandage.

"I saw them spying on you and decided to take them out. Turns out they were both wizards with a speed ability and they got away before I had the chance to catch them. One of them stabbed me on the way out." Natsu explained shortly, noticing her tense up at the beginning when he said they were spying on her. He suddenly laughed to brighten the mood, something he rarely did, "It's funny, I've never been stabbed before so I'd say that was a pretty great experience!"

Laughing hurt, _a lot,_ but he did it for Lucy's sake. She smiled and played along with his joking demeanor. "Yeah I agree, that was a pretty great experience on my part too," She said with a smile.

* * *

After a while, Natsu started regaining color to his features after he ate some food that Lucy ordered for him. Spicy chicken. Somehow she knew he would like it, and he was amazed at how right her assumptions were. He praised her like she was an angel, causing her to blush profusely and turn away. Turns out that Dragon Slayers have an abnormal healing ability too, so Lucy really didn't need to put all of that effort into stitches when in reality the wound would he scabbed over in mere hours.

He was currently lying down on the king sized bed in the other bedroom. The room they rented was huge, with a terrace, full sized kitchen and bathroom, along with two bedrooms and a living room. Luckily, Lucy laid him down on the twin sized bed that wasn't as nice when she fixed him up. He lay awake in the enormous room, eyes scanning everything over repeatedly. It looked expensive, to say the least.

There were glass twin doors that opened up onto the terrace which looked over all of Magnolia and Mt. Hakobe. Magnolia was lit up beautifully, the city lights sparkling and contrasting nicely with the night sky. Everything inside was painted white and grey, with colorful and abstract paintings hanging on the walls of each room. The king sized bed was maple wooden framed, sanded and painted over with a shiny coating, and the floor was a white marble with pale lilac mixed into it here and there.

The bed was covered with grey and lavender colored pillows and linens, and the curtains seemed to match, only taking on a darker shade of grey. The ceilings were unusually high with a big, white chandelier hanging down from it.

He looked over to the bathroom where Lucy had disappeared to some time ago. Just as he thought of her name he relayed his experiences of emotions with her. She made him feel different, like a real person with a personality. He could feel the doors of his soul had already opened wide for her, letting her see the real him.

If it had been anyone else who had saved him tonight, he wouldn't have let them see his pain like she did. And what happened when she comforted him brought a blush to his cheeks when she softly kissed his temple that left a warmth that spread through him. It made him feel better, it made him wonder what it meant.

* * *

 _With Lucy..._

Lucy plunged into the hot waters that smelled of honeysuckle and shea butter that filled her large bathtub. Immediate relief flooded through her and her muscles relaxed considerably. Lucy let out a large sigh and sunk deeper into the waters, enjoying the heat that corsed through her. This was exactly what she needed after a stressful experience with Natsu on the brink of death.

Maybe it wasn't really that dramatic, maybe she was overreacting, but she felt so desperate to save him it left a painful feeling in her stomach. She nearly broke down at one point, seeing him in all that pain made her feel terrible, and he even later revealed it was because he was going to catch people that were spying on _her._ He was the one who really saved her.

She didn't know who was spying on her but she was going to find them and make them pay for hurting Natsu, and hopefully, he would get his revenge too.

* * *

 **(A/N) Okay so the next chapter won't be as dramatic but will include some Nalu goodness! I'm not talking about smut or lemons because like _woah_ it is wayyyyy to early for that, don't you agree? Let me know if I should try a lemon in the future though, because if you want one I'll give you one! I'm pretty happy with how this story is going so far, send me a review if you think I should change pace! Thanks for reading!**


	8. Clean

**A/N Hey guys! This chappy is shorter... sorry! *nervous laugh* This took forever because I honestly haven't had the time to write lately. I haven't been updating my stories and for that, I am terribly sorry. I wanted to make this chapter longer but I wanted to give you some story ASAP because I felt bad about making you guys wait so long. SO, without further ado, Enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Tamer - Ch.8**

 _That night_

Lucy soaked in her bath for a long time. She scrubbed herself with thick shea butter body soap and weaved her hair with citrus scented conditioner. She lost track of how long she had been in there when the water started getting cold and dull, she knew she couldn't stay any longer or else her muscles would get tight again. She sighed and reluctantly emerged from the bath, wrapping a fuzzy white towel around her and stepping into the large spacious area of the bathroom. It was beautiful, with white marble tile lining the floors and golden faucets; Lucy wondered if they had really gotten a room in a palace. Steam filled the room, creating droplets of water to form on the giant, silver framed mirror and pale purple walls.

She stepped around her old clothes that were piled on the floor when a thought suddenly hit her. She didn't have any extra clothes; she left her suitcase at the guild, thinking that she'd come back for them. A blush rose to her cheeks but she knew she needed to go out and find some, even though Natsu was out there.

Lucy mustered her courage and wrapped the towel tightly around her, making sure it was nice and secure. Walking towards the door, she prayed that Natsu was asleep or in the other room, but when she opened the door she saw the exact opposite. Luck just wasn't on her side today.

Natsu turned his head to the opening door across the room. When he saw Lucy exiting the bathroom he turned his head away suddenly with his face rivaling the same color as his hair. _What the hell is she doing!?,_ He thought while desperately trying to regain his composure. Walking out of a steamy bathroom with only a towel on in front of a GUY?!

"Natsu? S-Sorry I know this is weird but…" She started, her face now a deep scarlet, like all of the blood in her body was rushing to her face, "Umm… d-do you have any.. uhh.. clothes I could borrow?" Lucy stared at her feet as she waited for his response, fiddling with her hands behind her back as a nervous habit.

Natsu's eyes widened at the words he heard. He didn't have any clothes to give to her but the blood soaked shirt that he was wearing, unless she wanted the pants he was wearing which he was sure she didn't.

"Uh, no sorry…" He said, his voice was straining not to waver from all the tension in his body. He had never been with a woman, so having one this close and _naked_ was way too much for him to handle. His enhanced senses picked up her intoxicating scent and he desperately tried to make a distance between them. Why was he so lured to her?

"Oh.. that's okay, actually now that I think about it, they might have some in one of the closets in here. I'll look for some for you too, you should take a shower to get all of that blood off." Lucy shook off her nervousness and spoke clearly to Natsu. She figured if she wasn't nervous then Natsu wouldn't be either. He seemed desperate to get away from her so she decided to just make him go and shower. She wouldn't admit it, but she was actually disappointed he didn't seem interested in her at all.

Natsu was grateful Lucy decided not to be awkward about their current situation and relaxed considerably. If she was comfortable then he would be too. "Yeah, sure," He said, making his way to the bathroom door that was left open. He stepped inside and shut the door behind him.

Lucy sighed in relief after the door closed. Being around Natsu always made her nervous for some reason, and it made her self-conscious. She put her thoughts aside and went in search of a closet that would hopefully have some clothes for her to wear in it.

Lucy pondered around the room for a bit, exploring the appliances and furnishings the hotel provided and came across a tall wooden wardrobe. Her hope that she would find clothes spiked high, and she opened the doors praying she would find something, _anything_ , to wear. Crossing her fingers, she skimmed through all of the robes and towels when she finally came across a couple hangers with what seemed to be bagged clothing, like it just came from the dry cleaners.

She brought the two hangers to the large bed and laid them out. She opened one of them tentatively, peering inside. Her eyes widened and a pink blush slightly tinged her cheeks when she revealed a set of pale pink lingerie. Underneath it, a clothing item caught her interest. She pulled out a lengthy lilac silk nightgown, with sleeves that hung down loosely at her elbows and white florals lining the breast area. It was beautiful, but it wasn't a princesses dress, more like a peasant girls dress that her mother made for her. She relaxed and let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She was glad she had something so beautiful to wear over top of the not so decent lingerie.

She checked the other bag and found men's clothes inside, then closed it and placed it on the chair just across from the bathroom door. Lucy quickly got changed into the clothes she had found and used her towel to dry her hair. By the time she was done, she heard the water in the bathroom turn off, signalling that Natsu was done with his shower.

The bathroom door opened to reveal a shirtless Natsu, with a towel wrapped around his waist. Lucy saw a scar on his toned stomach that wasn't there the first night she camped out with him. It was still fresh. The pink colored flesh travelled in a jagged line across his stomach. She frowned at the sight, "That's from today isn't it...?" She said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Natsu looked up to Lucy, whose eyes were shadowed over by her bangs. He frowned at her words, "Yeah…" He said, casting his eyes over to the floor on his left. He kept his eyes trained on the floor like it was the most interesting thing in the room.

"Here, get dressed." Lucy silently grabbed the bag from the chair where she had put them down and held it out to Natsu, who lifted his head to accept the bag.

"Thanks." He grabbed the bag but hesitated before he left. Natsu stood there with Lucy for a moment, like he was waiting for her to say something. She didn't.

He turned around and closed the bathroom door between them. He really didn't know how to deal with people, not to mention girls. He knew so much about people and yet when it comes to interacting with them he didn't have a clue what to say or do. Lucy was different, though, even though he was mean and disrespectful when he first met her, she gave him chances to make it up to her. It was like they were friends.

Natsu felt a tug at his chest when he thought 'friends'. He'd never had any friends. People ran from him, they didn't want to be near him, they hated him. Finally, he might have found someone who could reach out to him, understand him and trust him. How naive was he to think this? He had only met the girl mere days ago, so why? Why was he so desperate?

Shaking out of the thoughts that filled his head, he grabbed the bag and unzipped it carefully. He removed a plain black v-neck t-shirt and a pair of long, dark green pajama pants that looked a tad bit long for his legs. Luckily there was a pair of boxers included as well, which actually made him a bit uncomfortable because he was so used to his own clothes that it made him feel funny in different ones. He looked at himself in the mirror and couldn't help but feel exposed. He was practically bare, considering no one had seen him without his everyday cloak that covered most of his face and nearly all of his body. He would need to change into his old clothes if he went outside again.

He exited the bathroom silently, only the click of the door unlocking and his faint footsteps were heard even to his ears. He saw Lucy sitting on the giant bed centered in the dark room, staring out the floor to ceiling windows. She was so deep in thought that she didn't hear him exit the bathroom and walk towards her.

"Hey," His voice travelled to her and she visibly snapped out of her thoughts, "Uh since there is only one bed I can sleep on the couch in the living room" Natsu suggested uneasily, she looked upset earlier and he didn't want to make it even worse.

Lucy turned her head to look at Natsu, who had just finished talking. He saw tears shining in her eyes, glistening in the moonlit room. _So much for not making it worse…_ Natsu thought to himself, giving himself a mental slap for his stupidity.

She wiped the tears that stained her cheeks away and rubbed her puffy red eyes. "Yeah that's fine," She said sniffling, "You're sure that's okay?"

"Yeah it's fine I'm used to it," He said, scratching the back of his head nervously. Damn, this girl was so up and down it made him almost intimidated. A long, awkward silence ensued. Natsu just stood in front of the bed, wondering what he should do.

"I'm sorry Natsu" He picked up her small voice and looked up to her. She was gazing at him with such emotion he found it hard to breathe, "For what?" He whispered.

"This was all my fault! If those guys hadn't been following me then you wouldn't have gotten hurt!" She cried. He didn't know what to do. She was sitting there on the bed with her hands to her face, sobbing quietly, letting her tears flow through the cracks between her fingers. Why was she like this?

Lucy suddenly stood and walked towards Natsu. She clenched the hem of his shirt with one hand and wiped her wet cheeks with the other. "I'm so... so sorry.."

* * *

 ** _Review!_**

 ***Thanks for all your support guys! I promise I'm working hard on the next chapter!**


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